Contemporary Art Practice

Entry requirements

Normally a UK 2:1 honours degree or its international equivalent.

You must submit a portfolio as part of your application. Your portfolio should be formatted as an A4-sized PDF document of no more than 10 pages and contain:

• images of your work (the number is up to you, but we would advise that you do not put more than four images on an individual page)
• accompanied image text detailing title, medium, date and where appropriate web link to any supplementary documentation of the referenced work (for instance a link to video work)
• a short artist statement (no more than 250 words)
• no more than five URL links to any sites that further detail or document your work

Months of entry

September

Course content

This studio-based programme offers a constructive, critical environment for artists wishing to develop their practice. Our students produce artworks in a range of media, using paint, sound, performance, photography, video, sculpture and digital animation.

You will receive a studio space and a studio tutor. Teaching is primarily by one-to-one tutorials and mixed year group critiques with a year-round programme of visiting artists.

We emphasise the centrality of conversation and dialogue to developing innovative art and create a supportive environment to nurture risk-taking as fundamental to producing ambitious original art.

Courses examine key contemporary art developments and ways in which artists can self organise, collaborate and curate opportunities to exhibit.

We emphasise the application of theory to practice, and vice versa, and you will collaborate on self-organised exhibitions at Edinburgh College of Art (ECA) and at our external gallery partners. Theory courses encourage creative and academic responses to key contemporary art debates and we insist on research projects that are connected to studio work.

Graduates produce exhibitions internationally, and have been selected for major residencies, exhibitions and prizes such as Bloomberg New Contemporaries, Saatchi New Sensations, Glasgow Film Festival and Edinburgh International Art Festival.